Feeling the Magic
by Princess SimbiAni Dreamz a'Luv
Summary: !2003! -AU- Rogue & Kitty become friends one day, & Kitty has found a way for her to be "immune" to Rogue's power.. what could it be? XD


**"Feeling the Magic"**

by **SimbiAni™ **

**Summary**: «AU» Rogue and Kitty become friends one day, and Kitty has found a way for her to be immune to Rogue's power. ©2G3. Plz read&review, thx!

**Setting**: Um, sorta after X2? But John never left, Jean never died; no questions plz, 'cuz I have no explanations... I just came up with this randomly (yeah, even the weird title, hehe) while trying to write down the "X2" movie & listening to the "LiZZiE" movie soundtrack at the same time... what angsty pop can do to ya! LoL

**Background Info**: Ever since Rogue came to the school, she had learned most students' names, but never really became friends with any of them (except Bobby & John). I think Rogue is 17, while Kitty is 15.

•§•

It was late one evening, and Rogue was lounging on a couch in the main living room at the mansion. The TV was on, but she was just flipping channels, hoping to find something interesting. No one else was around. John had convinced Bobby to hang out with him for a change. The other kids were all out. So she thought. Just then, a girl she knew by the name of Kitty sat down, right next to her.

"Hey." Rogue whispered casually. She took in the image of the girl before her, shoulder-length blondish-brown hair, sparkling brown eyes. That was the girl who seemed to be happy all the time.

"Hi!" Kitty exclaimed. "You're Marie, right?"

Rogue chuckled nervously. Usually none of the other kids hanged around her, mostly because not that they were afraid of her, but 'cuz they just didn't want to get to know her. So she was surprised this girl was being friendly.

"You can call me, Rogue. Everyone does."

"So, what's up?"

Kitty was acting like they were already friends. Why?

"What? I mean, um... nothing, much..." She stared down at her hands, fingering her scarf.

"Oh, well I just wanted to say, I like- _totally_ love that shirt! Did you get it at the new store Infinity?"

"No, I- oh, so _that_ was the name of that store. Yeah, Jean took me shopping the other day." She smiled, and Kitty nodded.

"Yeah, I was there last week, and I bought these awesome bracelets!" Kitty held out her hands, and shook her wrists, showing off the new shiny beads. "You know what? Here, have one."

Rogue felt doubtful.

"Huh? I don't want- I mean, I have nothing to give you."

She shrugged.

"It's okay! Pick one..."

"Besides, I don't think bracelets would- go good over my gloves..."

"Oh, okay." She then took Rogue's right hand and studied the color of the glove. It was cranberry today. "How's this one?" Kitty slipped off a vanilla-colored beaded bracelet, & dropped it in Rogue's lap.

Rogue stuttered.

"Um, why are you being so nice to me?" She fingered the bracelet a second before sliding it onto her left wrist.

"Becuz, I think you're cool. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Not at all... Um. Thanks."

"Sure!" Kitty grabbed the remote from the table & surfed the channels a bit.

Rogue sighed; silence could be uncomfortable.

"So..."

Kitty appeared delighted at Rogue wanting to keep talking.

"You know, you and Bobby are so cute together..."

Her comment made Rogue blush.

"I mean, he's like the nicest boy around. And those eyes!"

Rogue laughed again. Maybe it was good that she have a friend- a girl- who she could talk to about silly stuff like that with. After all, John certainly didn't want to hear how cute Bobby was... He rolled his eyes everytime they got sappy around him.

"Yeah, and he's such a gentleman. Do you know he holds the door for me- _every_ time? I told him it's embarassing, but then he starts saying some mushy stuff, like "it's never embarassing to be around you" and it just cracks me up... How could I say no to that smile?"

Kitty giggled, and they launched into a whole convo about girl stuff after that.

•§•

They'd been talking for about two hours. And they had never come close to the subject of their powers. Until now.

"So, like... isn't it... how do you & Bobby deal with not being able to kiss? Like, it would be so hard for me, 'cuz he's just so adorable..." Kitty saw the look on Rogue's face, and she quickly apologized. "Oh, I'm so sorry- I didn't mean- I mean, if you're not comfortable-"

"No, it's okay... Um-" _She won't understand- she couldn't..._ Rogue thought. But why not? She finally had someone to talk to, her own age. Okay, two years younger, but still. "Well, you know how his power is icy? He just- goes all cold, makes his lips numb so I can't get thru to him... And then we're able to kiss- but only for a few seconds. We haven't found a way to make it last longer. Apparently, my power is... way too strong."

"So you can still kiss him? That's so totally awesome! It's a good thing your powers are compatible that way..." Kitty nodded, her face full of empathy. "Tho it must be, quite stressful..."

"Yeah, it is. It takes so much control, and- I have to keep remembering, to stop..."

"That must be hard!" Kitty blurted, with a coy smile.

Rogue chuckled.

"You have no idea!"

Then Kitty said something thoughtful.

"Don't you think John is jealous of you and Bobby? I kinda get the impression that he doesn't like being a third wheel around you two..."

"John, _jealous_? Hmm..." Rogue could still rember some of his thoughts from when she tapped into his powers to reverse his destruction at Bobby's house. "I guess I figured he didn't mind 'cuz Bobby is his best friend and all, so..."

"If you freeze kissing Bobby, imagine kissing John..."

"Kitty!" Rogue's eyes widened in shyness as she grinned. "But I don't think that would be... as-"

"Safe? As kissing Mr. Iceman? Yeah, you'd probably be consumed by the fiery passion that is John!"

"Shut up!" They were laughing yet again. Then, silence crept back. "Pyro is a good guy, but... I'm with Bobby. And I care about him. I only like John as a friend."

"You love Bobby... that's so sweet..."

"Yeah, I do... I don't think I'll ever find anyone like him..."

"I bet you're just waiting for that day when you can touch without worries..." Kitty reached over to push Rogue's bangs out of her face, being careful not to feel her forehead.

Rogue didn't move, and smiled in question.

"Without having to concentrate so hard about staying in control..."

"Um, of course... That would be- indescribably cool..." She raised her gloved hand & went to push Kitty's away, but Kitty had already pulled back. She was running her hand thru her own hair, and combing thru her bangs.

"Do you wonder what it's like, to run your fingers across... someone else's skin... without hurting them?"

"Uh, Kitty, why are you asking so many questions? To which, I think you already know the answers!" Rogue just shook her head. "I mean, of course I wonder! And it drives me mad sometimes..." Her eyes said she was thinking of _really_ kissing Bobby...

Kitty tried to explain.

"It's just that- You know my power? To phase thru things? Well, what if I could- if we- If me & you- could hold hands, skin to skin?"

"What? Why?" Rogue shook her head again. "Nevermind- you know it's impossible!"

"The only way to see is to find out... Come on, let's go somewhere quiet!"

"It _is_ quiet! Everyone's left to the arcade for game night, and Bobby is still paying basketball with John in the courtyard... I think..."

"Oh. Well, then I got something in my room I want to show you, come on!" With a mischievious smile, she jumped up from the couch and pulled Rogue in the direction of the hall. Rogue followed reluctantly, wondering what the heck this girl was talking about.

•§•

They arrived at the door to Kitty's room. As Kitty pushed it open, she did a cartwheel, and landed on the bean bag seat near the window.

"What are you doing?"

"Take off your gloves, Marie, and come sit over here." She motioned to a spot of the rug next to her. Rogue tilted her head as Kitty had called her by her real name. But she shrugged it off.

"You're crazy, my power can't be controlled- I'm serious!"

"Ok, it can't- but _mine_ can."

"Huh?"

"Just give me your hand."

Rogue sat down in the spot indicated, and slowly peeled off her right-hand glove. She held up her hand, like she was waiting for Kitty to high-five her. Kitty giggled again, then gently put her hand up to Rogue's. Their fingertips touched ever so lightly, and Rogue braced herself for the usual feeling of surging power being absorbed. Nothing happened. Kitty smiled triumphantly, and then started tickling Rogue's fingers.

"Hey!"

"What?"

"How? How!" She pulled her hand back, and folded her arms protectively to herself. "How did you do that?"

"It worked..." Kitty seemed as in awe as Rogue was.

"What do you mean, it worked? You sounded so sure a minute ago!"

"Well, yeah, but it's like, _so_ different to see it actually be true..."

"_What_ be true?"

"My theory! See, everyone thinks that my power is to only be intangible & not touch things when I phase out, but I can also choose what things I don't want to contact me- and what I _do_ want to..."

"What does that have to do...?"

"Try thinking about it like this. Sometimes my locker got stuck shut at my old school. I wouldn't be able to open it, but I could phase my hand thru, and still be able to feel my books, without being bothered or stopped by the metal door."

"I- You know what? That is _way_ too confusing to understand!"

"I know! That's why I can't believe it actually worked! Whoo!"

Rogue was peering at her own fingers, as if she could find an answer in her own skin. No veiny-ness, no sign of being affected at all. As if she had touched a regular lifeless object- but she had felt Kitty's hand, her warmth- she knew that much. Had it really been real?

"I don't get it..."

"See, I let _you_ touch me, but not your energy. Your power. So basically, it didn't come into contact with me, with my skin- but _you_ did. Sound better?"

"Almost makes sense..." She couldn't believe that Kitty had thought this out so, _well_.

"Wanna try again?"

"You're kidding...!"

"No! We can play "patty-cake"..."

"Now I _know_ you're insane..."

"I mean, what better way to relax about it than to see if we can keep it going while being spontanteous & random and not paying attention? You say that hardest part is keeping focused, but this could change that..."

"Okay, then..." She pulled off her other glove- the bracelet came off with it- and then sat facing each other.

"Ready?"

They began the the game, singing out the first few sentences and clapping along to it. Suddenly, Kitty fell back, with the weirdest look on her face.

"What happened? Are you okay!" Rogue said worriedly.

Kitty burst out laughing.

"I forgot the words!"

Rogue breathed a shaky sigh of relief, and started laughing too.

"So did I!"

"Know any others?"

"No! And don't ever scare me like that!" Rogue pushed her playfully.

"Sorry!" The laughter continued, and when it stopped, Kitty gazed at the wall.

"So..." Rogue picked up the bracelet. "How come it took you so long to say hi?"

Kitty blushed this time.

"Well, I was... afraid you wouldn't like me. You didn't seem to want any friends." She extended her arm again, and held Rogue's hand. "And... once Bobby started hanging around you, I felt like you'd think I was insincere. In wanting to be friends with you." Rogue shifted, but continued tangling Kitty's fingers with her own.

"Oh." This felt different than the way she'd held hands with Bobby. Not just that she wasn't gloved, just... kinda different. But in a good way... "So, you've _liked_ me, but never..."

"I wasn't... _brave_ enough, I guess... to tell you." Kitty focused on letting Rogue get the sensation of their fingers interacting. She must have practiced a whole lot to be able to have that much concentration...

"Then- does this mean- that you're my friend now?" Rogue dangled the bracelet in her other hand.

"Well, I hope so! Like, hey, you can call that our "link". Our special friendship bracelet." Kitty took it & slid it back on Rogue's wrist. "You wear _those_ gloves most often, anyways, so matching is no problem! The colors go so well together..."

And Rogue grinned again.

"Cool."

They sat there, like that, for a while longer, before one of them was the first to yawn. Rogue hugged Kitty "goodnight", retrieved her gloves, and went to sleep in her own room. Now Rogue had gotten something even more than she hadn't even realized she'd been searching for- a friend she could really talk to _and_ someone whom she could hold hands with! The night had turned out great, after all- like, _totally_!

•§•

XMEN™ is copyright of 20thC.Fox, Marvel, etc. ˆ-ˆ  
©2G3


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